Let’s take a closer look at the side borders of my True Blue Quilts banner.

I stitched two types of flowers over the nine-patch design.  The stems and leafs are similar. I use a meandering vine with leafs quite a bit as a border fill design.

On the left I stitched a “Swoop V” flower.  The corners have a gentle curve (swoop) while the centers are a deep V.  Aim for the corners and the center of the nine patch and you will soon find a rhythm for this flower.

On the right I stitched a flower with “tooth” petals.  I have also used this design to represent hibiscus on a Hawaiian-themed quilt.  The individual petals look like the top part of a tooth with a slight dip in the middle.  I find that five petals fit nicely around a center, which can be a spiral or pebbles or a plain circle.

As Lori says on her blog The Inbox Jaunt, you can improve your free motion quilting by doodling.  I have a small whiteboard where I practice designs as a warm up to quilting on fabric.  I also keep a sketchbook with a felt-tip pen where I doodle new designs and old favorites.

It’s a great day to quilt!  Let’s Enjoy, Experiment and Excel with our stitching!